We've Got This

The Intravenous Hangover Buster

Dripping our way out of a headache, one vitamin cocktail at a time

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Health hot spots throughout the country are adapting a new kind of bar, and I was admittedly surprised to find out Rhode Island is no exception. Hydration therapy, a treatment approach that offers a “cocktail” of vitamins intravenously, is just one of many services The Petteruti Center in Warwick offers, and one that my health repertoire had yet to acquire.

In vogue for its remedy of everything from lackluster energy to regrettable hangovers, hydration therapy offers an individualized dose of therapeutic vitamins, amino acids and minerals directly to cells. “The gastrointestinal tract limits, and in some cases fully blocks, absorption of certain healing products,” explained Doctor Stephen Petteruti during my pre-drip consultation. By completely bypassing the digestion process, saline solutions served neat with vitamins are not only faster, but also more readily absorbed than over-the-counter alternatives.

Although I’m one to avoid painkillers altogether – I’d rather spend $13 on a headache stick than pop an Ibuprofen – this type of remedy seemed more my style. “Patients choose from 13 different drip varieties, each completely customizable to their specific needs,” Doctor Petteruti elaborated. Cocktails like the Pre- and Post-Flight Drips boost the body’s immunity during travel, while more specific combinations, like the Chronic Lyme Drip analyze a patient’s history to fight fatigue and potentially reduce or eliminate his or her adherence to long-term antibiotics.

I’ll admit, I was slightly skeptical of the touted Hollywood service. As a health and fitness enthusiast, I wasn’t sure anything could serve me more than kale, kettlebells, vitamin D and eight hours of sound sleep. Could I really feel better? Was there even anything to ‘fix’? All it took was a slight pinch of the arm and a relaxing 15 minutes in the Peterutti Center’s comfortable Drip Lounge to prove me wrong.

The most popular of the feel-good shooters, the Myers Cocktail, called my name. Titled after the late John Myers, a Maryland physician who used IV injections to treat patients, this combination includes a mix of vitamin C, calcium, magnesium and various B vitamins (1, 6, 12 and B-complex) to enhance energy, improve mental clarity and assist the body’s detoxification system. Chased with an extra 400mg shot of glutathione – an antioxidant that protects against free radicals, infections and cancer – this mix gave me more wings than any can of Red Bull I crushed in college.

After the painless insertion of a hair-thin butterfly needle, I experienced a common heat and flushing sensation that quickly subsided. The light smell and taste of the vitamin complex stayed with me for an hour after my visit, but my heightened energy lasted all day. I felt perkier, more aware of my surroundings and generally sharper on all levels before even stepping foot outside.

Aside from the added spring in my step, the best part of my experience had to be the doctor’s orders: “Indulge in a real cocktail.” A lightweight lover of red wine, I was prone to the common sulfite headache even after just one glass, but not with my body’s new stores of vitamins and minerals to sweep out the heavy pour. Not only did I feel fantastic mid-glass, but the next morning also showed no lingering signs of my favorite vino.

Whether you like your energy restoration shaken or your pre-party damage control stirred, the Petteruti Center knows how to mix it. 2

The Petteruti Center
50 Centerville Road, Building E 
Warwick. 921-5934

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